Iraq v Norway: World Cup 2026 – live

⚽ World Cup news: kick-off 6pm EDT/11pm BST/8am AEST⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Email BeauIraq guide and starting lineupIn the year of the Geopolitical Cup, which includes one country’s team playing within the borders of a country with which it’s at war, Iraq’s road has been difficult. The U.S. military action of the 2000s is a not-too-distant memory, and the combat next door in Iran affected their final steps in a long journey back to the Big Dance, as explained in our team guide (“Arnold” is Graham Arnold, the team’s Australian head coach):Iraq were a game away from qualifying for their first World Cup in 40 years, with a final against Bolivia in Monterrey, their 21st qualifier, but things didn’t go smoothly. War broke out in the Middle East, with airspace closed and flights grounded. Unable to gather his squad, Arnold, stuck in a hotel in the UAE, demanded Fifa postpone the playoff, but the clouds cleared and after a 12-hour drive from Baghdad to Amman and a 17-hour flight to Mexico, Iraq reached their destination, 10 days before the game. Continue reading...